The Unbroken Vase
by CatrinaSL
Summary: It seemed odd that a simple quest for quiet would result in an 8 million yen debt. But what if it hadn't? This is the tale of Fujioka Haruhi and Morinozuka Takashi, the Third Music Room, a well-climbed tree, and an unbroken vase.
1. Of Beginnings and Branches

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF; you can find his work on DeviantArt (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we do own glue, which is good for putting broken pottery back together.

* * *

It seemed odd to Haruhi that someone as strange as this would be allowed to attend Ouran Academy. It was as if he was living in a separate- and decidedly more dramatic- world. She should have closed the door the second the rose petals washed over her. As he welcomed her into their "world of beauty," she could tell he had a few screws loose. She tried to leave, tried to explain that she wasn't interested, but he continued speaking; he wasn't listening to a word she said. He started to list off the_ types_ offered by the club, asking which she liked best.

She couldn't care less if the twins in her class were "Little Devils" or what having glasses had to do with being a "Cool Type." He just blathered on, ignoring her attempts at interruption. Finally he paused, and she tried, once again, to protest. "It's not like that! I just wanted some quiet!"

He stopped short, cutting off whatever he was going to say. _Is he finally going to listen?_ she wondered.

"Ah! Mori-sempai's type, then. Why didn't you say so in the first place?" The tallest of these absurdly attractive men nodded and stepped toward her.

_That would be a no._

"With Mori-senpai as your host, you will be able to bask in the richness of companionable silence as you enjoy tea and cake!" An idea struck the blond man. "Why, as a poor person, you have likely never partaken of the delicacies you will enjoy today! Oh, what an honor! To be able to witness a commoner's first taste of quality!"

Haruhi twitched. How was it possible that such an annoying person existed? Well, he said she'd get tea and cake. She didn't particularly like sweets, but free food was free food. Still... was it worth putting up with the Annoying One's presence? He was already making a spectacle of himself, waxing eloquent on her heroic poverty, and she cringed when she noticed that his exaggerated arm gestures only just avoided knocking over a pretty- and most likely expensive- blue vase. Luckily, she was already being led away from him and his overly dramatic monologue, and she was pleased to see that Tall, Dark, & Silent's destination seemed to be a table on the other side of the room.

Although she _was_ grateful to be getting away from him, she'd rather left the room altogether. She glanced longingly towards the door, but gave up any thoughts of escape when the smallest host- who_ looked_ like he should be in the elementary section, though he was wearing the high school uniform- dragged her the rest of the way to the couch. Apparently he shared it with the tall, quiet one. He sat her down, telling her to "Have a good time, Haru-chan!" then dashed off to greet a small group of girls who had just walked through the door.

She remained in her seat and observed as the table slowly filled with girls. This corner of the room seemed to be calmer than the others, where the squealing of girls reached dangerous levels. She wondered how often the Host Club had to replace windows.

Luckily, the girls she was sharing a couch with seemed content to limit themselves to exclaiming over the cuteness of the smaller Host and shyly smiling at the quiet Host. She wasn't inclined to do either, so she settled in and listened to them chat. From their conversations, she was able to surmise that the smaller Host was called "Hani," while the taller Host was called "Mori." She also learned, much to her astonishment, that Hani and Mori were in the same class: 3A. She already knew the twins, but they seemed to create more excitement and chaos in this room than they did under a teacher's watchful eye. The one with the glasses was Ōtori Kyōya, and the Annoying One was actually the director's son. His name was, unless Haruhi was much mistaken, "Tamaki *sigh*." (The sigh was apparently very important; his name was considered mispronounced without a sigh of admiration and longing at the end of it.)

It seemed rude to take out her schoolwork, but she really _did_ need to study. It was, therefore, a relief when the other occupants of the couch went off with the louder of the two Hosts to get some cake, leaving her alone with the quieter one. She glanced up at him as she pulled out the book she needed and found him looking at her.

"He... misunderstood me," she tried to explain, and opened her textbook. "What I meant was that I wanted a quiet _place_. You know... to study." He nodded serenely, not looking the least bit offended at the confession that she wasn't there simply to enjoy his company. Well, she hadn't exactly been quiet about not wanting to be there. Suō-sempai was an oblivious idiot, but that didn't mean any of the others were.

The club activities were winding down, and she was satisfied with the studying she'd managed to do. It hadn't been as quiet as she might have preferred, especially once the others came back, bringing their tea and noise with them. She certainly wouldn't have described the experience as one of "basking in the richness of companionable silence," but it had been nice to be served for once, and even with their chattering, the company wasn't as bothersome as she had feared. It seemed that everyone was paying attention to the smaller host, even the girls who were sitting closer to the "Wild Type." Since Haruhi herself was sitting on the edge of that group, she was free to glance at Mori-sempai from behind her glasses without being observed.

Still, she didn't think she'd come back. Getting stuck in here today meant she'd have to spend even more time looking for a place to study. She shook herself from her thoughts and was surprised to realize that she was the only guest still there. She closed her book and gathered up her notes and pencil, preparing to leave. She'd just stood when a hand on her shoulder halted her progress.

"Fujioka-kun." This was the first time she'd heard her host speak. He had a deep and pleasant voice; it was a shame he didn't use it more often. She looked up, and was surprised to find what might have been a smile on his face, though it quickly disappeared. He said nothing else, but removed his hand from her shoulder and indicated that he wished for her to follow him. She hesitated for a moment, then did as he directed.

She wasn't quite sure where they were headed, and as they exited the building, she wondered if it was Host Club policy for members to walk their first time clients home. It didn't seem very likely, but she couldn't think of a better explanation, and since Suō-sempai was nominally in charge of the club... well, there wasn't a limit on what she'd believe he might come up with. And wouldn't it be fun to explain this to her father...? Then again, he _had_ been pestering her with questions on whether or not she'd made any new friends. She wasn't sure that an hour of sitting quietly near one another made them "friends," but Mori-sempai was the first person not to annoy her with his very presence. Her classmates, when they deemed her worth bothering, simply pestered her with questions, asking her opinion about the newest video game she couldn't afford, or wanting to know which of the clothing designers she'd never heard of was her favorite. She didn't really _mind_ socializing, but they were from such different worlds that it was hard to relate. She was sure that she_ could_ cross that culture gap, if she wanted to put in the effort, but the fact of the matter was that she would rather put that effort into maintaining her grades.

She didn't realize that she had been lost in her own thoughts until he stopped walking and she nearly bumped into him. They were on a hill overlooking a good portion of Ouran's grounds, and there didn't seem to be anyone or anything around except a tall tree with broad branches that looked like they had grown specifically for an adventurous climber's enjoyment. She supposed that if one sat in the branches, one could see most of the Academy. Directly below were the sports fields, where she could see the kendo club diligently practicing.

Haruhi stood with her Host in silence for a few minutes before she felt obliged to speak. "Beautiful view," she commented.

"It's quiet," he responded. She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. "For studying," he clarified.

She beamed at him, and the next thing she knew, her feet were no longer touching the ground. She let out a little squeak of surprise, and found herself being held above his head. He_ looked_ at her for a moment, head tilted to the side as he seemed to puzzle something out, then nodded and set her down on the lowest branch of the tree. It was smooth from wear. Many people had both climbed and relaxed on this branch. A thought occurred to her as she glanced between the branch she was sitting on and the boy who was attempting to make her comfortable.

"The 'Wild' type?" she questioned, glancing up into the branches of the tree pointedly.

One side of his mouth twitched, and he nodded, confirming her suspicions. "What did they call you before they knew that you like to climb trees?"

His lips twitched again. "The Silent Type. The Strong Type; because of kendo."

He looked over her and her textbook, assuring himself that they were stable, then turned and started to make his way towards the fields. _Because of kendo,_ he'd said. He was probably in the club- and had made himself late so that he could help her. She couldn't help but smile.

"Mori-sempai!" she called out, and he stopped and turned. "Thank you!" He gave her a parting smile and again began to make his way down the hill.

Neither of them knew how close she had come to incurring an 8 million yen debt that day. As Morinozuka Takashi practiced kendo and Fujioka Haruhi studied with a smile on her face, the vase sat unharmed upon its pedestal in the Third Music Room.

* * *

Author's note: We hope you've enjoyed the first chapter of the first ever jointly authored story by CatrinaSL and Stella Malodi! Hopefully it will be the first of many. No plot bunnies were intentionally stolen, but one might have followed Stella home; that being the case, this chapter is dedicated to fringeperson, the author of the wonderful story "To Change One Thing." You should check it out.


	2. An Interlude: Companionable Silence

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF; you can find his work on DeviantArt (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we do like climbing trees.

* * *

It seemed odd to Haruhi that so little time had passed since she'd stumbled upon the Host Club. The tree on the hill almost immediately became one of her favorite places. She could sit there for hours, and she usually did. Mori-sempai was_ busy_ after school. He always put her in the tree before any activities he had to attend (unless, of course, she had to be somewhere right after school) and he came to get her down when he was done.

When she'd finished her studying that first day- the first time she'd _ever_ done her studying in a tree!- she took a moment to wonder why he insisted on placing her_ in_ the tree, rather than just letting her study on the ground, in the shade of its branches. Then she had looked around, and her question was answered. The view from where she sat was_ fantastic_, even better than she had imagined it would be.

She couldn't get down on her own (or up, for that matter), which was, admittedly, rather inconvenient, but she trusted Mori-sempai to remember to help her down. His activities gave her time to study, and she'd be forever grateful that he'd given her such a quiet and peaceful place to do her work. She could concentrate more easily there, and with no loud father or chatty students to disturb her, she got loads of studying done. When she was finished, there was no shortage of things to look at. The grounds were beautiful, and she was in a perfect position to observe kendo practice, or watch for Mori-sempai's return, if that's what she wanted to do. She found that the nearly silent hour she'd spent with him in the Host Club was, in fact, enough to start a friendship, and much to her surprise, the senior quickly and easily became a constant in her life.

The first day, the day she'd been hosted, Mori-sempai returned after kendo and lifted her from the branches. He then walked with her as far as his car, where they waved cheerfully at each other. Well, Haruhi waved cheerfully. Mori-sempai gave a little wave and a little smile, and Hani-sempai, who'd been waiting by the car, bounced enough to make up for his friend's stoic demeanor.

On the first day of the next week, when he came to retrieve her from the tree, he brought the blond senior with him. Mori-sempai clambered onto the branch next to her without much fanfare, but Hani-sempai insisted on climbing the tree himself. Haruhi tried not to giggle at the sight of him hugging the trunk and scooting his way up until he could maneuver himself onto her branch. The three of them chatted happily; the taller senior was as quiet as ever, but still managed to be involved in the conversation. The cousins (as she learned they were) walked her as far as their car, as Mori-sempai had done the previous week, and waved goodbye. When the car blocked Hani-sempai's view of Haruhi, he climbed his cousin in the same manner he had the tree, and seated himself on the tall man's shoulders so he could continue to wave.

As she walked away, she heard Hani-sempai say, "I like her. We're gonna be her friends, right, Takashi?"

"Yeah."

She smiled.

The next day, there was a sale at the supermarket, and she had to leave almost immediately after school. She still chatted with Mori-sempai for a few minutes before she left, letting him know where she'd be. He seemed sad; she hoped whatever was wrong would be better by the next day.

On Wednesday, he came by himself and climbed into the tree. They stayed there for over an hour. They sometimes talked- well, she talked; he was a very good listener- and sometimes they just sat quietly. Now, _this_ was an experience that might fit the description of "basking in the richness of companionable silence." Luckily, Suō-sempai wasn't around, so she didn't have to hear a speech about how wonderful silence was.

Haruhi was having a wonderful time; between the company and the views, she wasn't sure when she'd last enjoyed herself like this. Well, that wasn't_ completely_ true, but she was aware that the last time involved the same location and similar company. Spending time alone with Mori-sempai was just a little bit_ different_ from spending time with him and his cousin. It was obviously quieter, calmer, and the scenery had more of an effect on the atmosphere surrounding their conversation; she'd barely had a chance to notice such things with Hani-sempai around. There was less communication through speech, and more through looks and gestures. Her favorite moments were the ones in which they would just_ look_ at one another and smile.

The day after that, she found herself distracted from her studying. It seemed, no matter what she did, her eyes were drawn from her books to the tall form practicing kendo in the distance. She huffed and turned to face the other way. She was still distracted, but it was more manageable when she knew that the motion in the corner of her eye probably _wasn't_ her tall, quiet, and handsome friend.

Once, however, it _was_ him; he'd come to collect her from the tree.

"I'm sorry, Mori-sempai, but I'm not finished yet," she said as he lifted her from the tree.

He nodded at her and laid his hand on her head. "Sit. I'll help."

She sat. He removed her things from the tree and set them on the ground before her. He sat next to her and looked over the assignments she'd been working on. "I'm almost done," she tried to explain, somehow embarrassed that she hadn't managed to finish in time for his arrival. "I've only got this one assignment left..."

He gave a little smile as he glanced at her, that smile that was just a twitch, barely a change of expression, but was as good as grinning when it came from him, and bent over her work. And then, to her surprise, he began to help her. She didn't really need much assistance, but it was appreciated all the same. He had a talent for explaining things with only a few, well chosen words. He didn't seem to have the same need for words that others did. Still, even with his continued avoidance of speech, she heard more from him in this one afternoon than she had in all the others combined. Once they'd finished, there was only one thought circling through her mind.

"You really _do_ have a wonderful voice..." she murmured, then blushed as she realized that she'd spoken out loud._ Maybe he didn't hear...?_ she hoped, but the blush on his cheeks said otherwise. The walk back to his car was filled with shy glances; their blushes never seemed to fade, as they were renewed each time they caught the other's eyes. She wasn't even sure _why_ they were blushing, but they were and they couldn't seem to stop. It was probably a good thing that Hani-sempai had gone home instead of waiting for his cousin.

The next day was a Friday, and she was distracted from the moment he picked her up to put her in the tree. He seemed somehow gentler, though she couldn't have said why she got that impression. It was a good thing she didn't have much homework that day, for she was the picture of preoccupation. It was almost impossible for her to focus on the words before her, and her eyes were constantly drawn to the school. She thought she knew approximately where the Third Music Room was, and she couldn't help trying to find its windows.

She once thought she saw him standing just behind one of the windows, and it was in the right section of the building, so she gave a little wave. He waved back, then looked over his shoulder before turning and walking away. Somehow seeing him actually helped her concentration- she knew he was there and looking out for her, and the feeling that knowledge brought was as overwhelming as it was difficult to describe. Something had changed, and she didn't know what.

When he came to get her that afternoon, the gentleness was still there, but he also seemed quieter, almost shy. She called his name, to ask him if something was wrong. When he looked at her, the words got stuck in her throat, but she found herself smiling. She didn't know why; sometimes it seemed as if she couldn't look at him and _not_ smile.

The words never made it out of her mouth, but that was okay, because he smiled, too. They both relaxed, though neither had noticed any tension until it was gone. With him, a smile was enough to make everything perfect. They spent a quiet afternoon together, thinking, reading, enjoying the view, and speaking in smiles. When Haruhi reluctantly admitted that she had to go home, he smiled softly and walked with her to his car. To her surprise, he stopped only briefly, saying something to the driver, before catching up with her. He walked her to her door, laid a hand on her head, gave another of those little smiles of his, and said goodnight.

* * *

Author's Note 8/2/13: We hope you've enjoyed the first fluff-filled interlude! Check back next Friday for Chapter 2! -Stella Malodi & CatrinaSL


	3. Of Mysteries and Maneuvers

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF; you can find his work on DeviantArt (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we DO have a private police for- oh, no, we don't have that either. Darn.

* * *

It seemed odd to Kyōya that Mori-sempai was quiet... well, quieter than usual. His clients didn't seem to mind his request to move their entire party nearer to the windows, and the only difference that Kyōya observed was that the Wild Type's silence seemed to speak more of distraction than of reticence. Hani-sempai covered it up by being a bit brighter than usual, and none of their guests noticed, thankfully.

He wasn't planning to intervene or take any other action until Tamaki remarked, "Mori-sempai must really love kendo; he stares out the window at the practice field all through club and then leaves as soon as we finish our meetings! He's so dedicated!" The following speech about how he would take Mori-sempai's example and better himself was ignored by his friend, as was the subsequent thirty minute piano solo.

Instead, Kyōya went over to the window to see what he could see. There was Mori-sempai on the field with the rest of the kendo club, standing out from his peers, as usual, by virtue of being a foot or so taller than most of them. But there was something new to be observed from the window. Something out of place.

What could be in the branch of that tree on the hill?

He pulled out his cell phone.

"There's something in the tree between the Third Music Room's windows and the kendo practice field."

"What are your orders?"

"Retrieve it and bring it to my car. Be discreet."

"Yes, sir!"

Haruhi had finished her homework, packed her books into her bag, and was absentmindedly tapping her favorite pencil on her knee as she watched Mori-sempai. He was so tall that she could easily pick him out of the others gathered for kendo practice.

Then she wasn't in the tree anymore. Before she could register what was happening, her bag was being grabbed from the branch, where it had been sitting next to her, and her pencil went flying from her hand as she was roughly thrown over someone's shoulder.

"... Excuse me, but WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Haruhi asked of her abductors. She was ignored as the men continued to run across the grounds.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" They were now in one of the parking lots, headed for a sleek, black limo. Since the parking lot was filled with sleek, black limos, this meant very little, and told her nothing about who her abductors were- or, more importantly, who they worked for. They came to a halt beside one of the cars (though how they could tell _which_ car was the correct one was beyond her), then set her on her feet and continued to ignore her as she tried to ask them why they had kidnapped her. They moved to block her path when she tried to walk away, and one of them still held her bag. She sighed and settled in to wait.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long to discover who had orchestrated her kidnapping.

"Ōtori-sempai? What's going on?"

"Fujioka Haruhi? Hm. Interesting," he said, ignoring her question completely. The man holding her bag handed it to the boy, bowing as he did so. "You are dismissed," the young Ōtori said absently to his family's employees. They nodded sharply and marched away. He glanced through the bag before handing it back to Haruhi, ignoring her indignation. In the meantime, the driver had gotten out and opened the door for them. Ōtori-sempai stepped in. When Haruhi didn't immediately follow, he sighed.

"We're going to your house. You might as well get in on your own," he said. She glanced behind her, realized that the men were still hovering, and hastily got into the limo, trying not to trip as she did so.

"You know..." she said, "most people don't resort to kidnapping when they want to give someone a ride home. Most people just _ask_."

"But I didn't want to give you a ride home," he said, smirking. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, not you in _particular_, anyway. My goal was to discover what was in the tree, and to investigate it in the privacy of my own car."

"I see. May I ask what made you so curious about the tree in the first place?" she asked.

"Information is key. Without sufficient information, any plan is doomed to failure before it can even begin."

"Then why did you decide that this piece of information was worth your while?"

He stayed silent for a moment- deciding whether or not to answer her, she thought- then spoke. "It's never a good idea to show all your cards, but I suppose I owe you _some_ explanation; consider it compensation for any inconvenience I may have caused you," he paused, straightened his tie, cleared his throat, and continued. "You've been distracting Morinozuka-sempai. He's moved his couch closer to the window so that he can look outside. Most believe that he's watching kendo practice and take his distraction as a sign of his dedication, but you and I know better, don't we?"

She looked confused. She said, "I don't understand," but the words weren't necessary. He laughed.

"Was there a point to this conversation?" she asked, annoyed, now, that he was laughing at her. His gaze turned calculating and he looked her up and down.

"Everyone at school is convinced you're a boy, and you've done nothing to dispel the rumors."

"I don't really care about that sort of thing," she said. "I don't think it matters if a person is a boy or a girl."

"That's not the point. The point is that people love a mystery," he said as he looked away from her, out the window. "If you'd like, I can furnish you with a uniform in exchange for your help in the Host Club. You could make tea, serve cake, that sort of thing, with the added bonus of distracting Mori-sempai from a rather closer location."

Haruhi frowned, choosing to ignore the comment about her 'distracting' Mori-sempai. "But the reason I sit in that tree is to get some quiet, so I can study," she protested.

"It would only be during club hours," he assured her smoothly. "You could study while watching M-," he paused to clear his throat again, "I mean... while Mori-sempai practices kendo."

"I... suppose that wouldn't be so bad," Haruhi responded.

Ōtori-sempai smiled. A lesser person than Haruhi would have been scared. As it was, she was still a little worried.

"Good! Then we have an agreement?"

"An agreement?"

He sighed, looking like he was being forced to explain something to someone very slow.

"_You_ will be doing small jobs for the Host Club; _I_ will be providing you with a uniform. I'll also be arranging for you to get new contacts and and a proper haircut."

"Sempai, _I_ can-" he gave her a look and she cut herself off. "I'm not going to regret letting you buy all these things, am I?"

"I'm not going to hold it over you, if that's what you mean. You'll be paying me back by doing those little tasks I mentioned earlier. Perhaps we'll also have you play at being a Host a time or two. You never know, you might even _like_ it." He smiled again and she shivered.

Ōtori-sempai's phone rang, and he seemed surprised when he looked at the caller ID. "Yes, Mori-sempai?"

Haruhi could hear her friend clearly. "Kyōya. I need your help. Fujioka Haruhi is missing."

Ōtori-sempai handed the phone to Haruhi. "It's for you. Mori-sempai was worried," he said with a smirk.

"Mori-sempai?"

"...Haruhi?"

"I'm all right. Sorry for worrying you."

"You left your pencil. You were kidnapped."

"Well, yes, but it was just Ōtori-sempai. I'm not hurt. Would it make you feel better to come to my house?"

"Yes."

"And... Could you bring my pencil with you?"

He hung up.

The door of the limo opened and she blinked out into the sun. When her eyes adjusted, she saw Ōtori-sempai holding out his hand to help her out of the car. "Well, Fujioka-kun," he said as she climbed out, "I certainly _hope_ you won't regret joining the Host Club, but if you do, it won't be because of me."

"I know. It'll be because of Suō-sempai."

He laughed. "We have a deal?"

"We have a deal," she confirmed. He chuckled again and stepped into the limo.

"Be ready by 8 AM," he called, just as the door closed.

"Ready for what?" she asked, then yelled, "READY FOR WHAT?"

Haruhi stood there, feeling decidedly apprehensive, and watched the limo pull away. She was sure somehow that Ōtori-sempai was still laughing inside, but she didn't know what she'd said that was so funny.

* * *

Authors' Note: This chapter is dedicated to all of our followers! And don't worry, we're already working on our next project! In the meantime, if you have an idea that needs words, you can request it at iwillwriteyourfic DOT blotspot DOT com! Until next week!


	4. Of Twins and Torture

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF; you can find his work on DeviantArt (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club. But we have been dragged off to a few makeovers in our time.

* * *

It seemed odd to Ranka that Haruhi's alarm was going off. This was a Sunday. Haruhi typically woke early on her own, but faithfully set her alarm every day, just in case she happened to sleep in. He'd worked hard to convince her that the alarm should stay off on Sundays, that she deserved to sleep in on her day off, if she could manage it. She'd finally agreed to it after he'd threatened to throw out all of her ugly clothes if she didn't. (Well, she didn't think they were ugly; she thought they were _practical_.)

He was still half asleep, but this was a mystery (and an opportunity!) he had to investigate. If he _hadn't_ been mostly asleep, he would've been dancing at the thought that he'd _finally_ have the excuse he needed to get rid of those horrid things taking up Haruhi's closet space.

"Morning, Haru-"

"_Don't you dare touch my clothes!_ It's not my fault I had to wake up early!"

He held up his hands in self defense. His daughter was especially tenacious when he forced her to wear "impractical" frilly nightgowns, as he had the night before. "Okay, okay, no need to shout. If it's not your fault, whose is it?"

"Ōtori Kyōya. He's one of the hosts in that club I found last week."

"What did he do?"

"Well," she said, then paused. She seemed to be at a loss for words. "First he kidnapped me, and then he asked me to help out at the Host Club: serve tea and cake, maybe fill in if one of the Hosts gets sick, that sort of thing. I think. Anyway, he's going to get me a uniform in exchange, and he said something about a haircut and contacts. The last thing he said before he left was to be ready by 8 AM, but he didn't say what for."

"Hm," Ranka said, processing the information. There was a mystery to be solved; he'd freak out about the kidnapping thing later. "Well, the fancy school uniforms are all custom made, right? That's part of why they were so expensive. So, he probably needs to have you fitted for a uniform. And a _good_ haircut takes longer than when you cut gum out of it yourself. Then there's the eye doctor, and if he's worried about your appearance... well, you'll be having a long and uncomfortable day, but you'll look much better for it."

"Huh?"

"Haruhi, I think he's arranged a makeover for you."

"Right in one," came the voice of someone who'd just let himself in. "I apologize, Fujioka-san," he continued, "I had rather hoped to introduce myself to you on more formal terms, but I suppose this will have to do." He bowed. "I am Ōtori Kyōya, vice-president of Ouran Academy's Host Club, and I am here to escort your daughter today while she gets," he cleared his throat, "an upgrade." He paused, tapping his pen on the notebook he held. "There's more than enough room for you, if you'd like to come along."

Kyōya-kun had said the magic words. Ranka's eyes lit up even as his daughter groaned. He knew _exactly_ what she was thinking: something along the lines of, _This is going to be a long day, or I'm so glad my beloved father will be there for my makeover,_ or possibly,_ Will I get back in time to buy beef from the market?_

A set of red-headed twins casually strolled through the door. "Hey, Kyōya-sempai, can we get going already? You said we're going to give the scholarship student a makeover, right? We're going to need all day to do a halfway decent job, so we really need to go." They spotted his darling daughter, who was glaring. Identical eyes brightened slightly as they spotted their prey. They darted forward, each grabbing one of her arms, and started dragging her outside. Ranka started to follow them and saw that their destination was a fancy car.

"Wait!" Haruhi was yelling, "It's barely 7:30! I'm not ready! I'm not even _dressed_ yet!"

""With _your_ clothes? That's probably for the best,"" the twins replied in unison.

Ranka was understandably upset with this turn of events; luckily, Kyōya-kun chose that moment to explain who they were and why they were manhandling his daughter. "Their mother is Hitachiin Yuzuha-sama. As you can imagine, they've learned a lot from her. They're very good at what they do, and I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results."

Ranka's distress disappeared, and instead he was thrilled that his daughter would be getting a makeover from the sons of such a distinguished designer.

"Hey," came the voice of a twin, "I thought Fujioka-kun was a boy!"

"Maybe he is and he likes to wear frilly nightgowns," the other twin suggested.

Haruhi's outraged voice could be clearly heard. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here! I don't _like_ to wear these, they're impractical! Every now and then my father decides that I'm not 'feminine' enough and _forces_ me to wear ridiculous clothes; _he's_ the one that picked this out!"

"So, you _are_ a boy, then?" one of the twins asked.

"Well, no, but does it really matter?"

"Lace matters," one twin pointed out.

"I agree," said the other, "this is quality stuff, even though it's not name brand. Your father has pretty good taste."

"Get your hands off me!" Haruhi protested.

Kyōya glanced at Ranka. "Would now be a convenient time for you to accompany us?"

Ranka smiled. "Let me get my things."

Haruhi sighed. It had taken a few hours, but she'd finally given up resisting. She'd had a manicure and a pedicure (accompanied by her father, who was there to "help"), been to the eye doctor for some new contacts, and now they were doing something with her eyebrows. It was annoying, but at least she (hopefully) wouldn't have to do this again. If she did, there would be... _unpleasant_ consequences.

It was a mystery to her how her father could_ enjoy_ this sort of thing. It was a waste of time. She could have been doing chores, studying, any number of things, but she wasn't. She was, instead, getting a _makeover_. That word would forever be one of the dirtiest she knew.

"Close your eyes!" someone ordered. She did, without hesitation, and decided that ignoring everything and everyone around her would be the best use of her time.

Instead, she let her mind wander. She found herself thinking of the day before. Not just of the whole kidnapping escapade, but of what happened after...

As soon as she'd stepped inside her apartment, there had been a loud banging on the door; she must have just about shut it in someone's face! She hadn't even slipped her shoes off yet, so she turned to open it and was surprised to find Mori-sempai standing there, panting as though he'd just run a marathon.

"Mori-sempai!" she had exclaimed, "I wasn't expecting you so soon!" She glanced behind him and noticed that something was missing. "Where's your car?"

"School," he had replied, still trying to catch his breath.

"So... you _ran_ all the way here?" she'd asked. He responded with a short nod.

When she smiled, so did he, and he held up her pencil, the one he'd come all the way to her house to return. A rush of gratitude flowed across Haruhi and left her face burning red. She felt like hugging him, but thought better of it; she wasn't sure he would accept it, not to mention he was pretty sweaty. Luckily, she almost immediately thought of a better reward.

"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea while you wait for your car?" she asked, accepting her pencil and stepping aside so that he could follow her in. "I've even got a snack to go along with it." She slipped off her shoes and got busy making tea while he took his shoes off and sat down at the table.

She wasn't sure that something as simple as serving strawberries with the tea would show her appreciation of his efforts, but the look on his face said that she had at least made a start.

She grinned at the memory, and shortly thereafter, the random pricks of pain coming from just above her eyes stopped, and she was told that she was now allowed to open her eyes.

"All right, now it's time for your haircut!"

She groaned. Would this day of torture never end?

* * *

Author's Note: Happy Friday! Thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. We love you all! As always, the next chapter will go up next Friday, but until then, feel free to pm us with questions or request something at iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com.


	5. An Interlude: Calming Advice

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF; you can find his work on DeviantArt (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we'e both felt that weirdness that comes with new contacts.

* * *

It seemed odd to Haruhi that her hair was still such a bother to her. After all, she'd had the fancy haircut, and there was quite a bit _less_ hair, but what _was_ there was determined to blind her. She pushed it out of the way and watched some students do warm-ups on the field below her tree.

She'd come here before school in her new haircut, new contacts, and new uniform, feeling exposed and unlike herself, hoping to calm down a bit before showing off her new look to the school.

"H-Haruhi?" She jumped about a foot in the air. Apparently her attempts at calming down had not succeeded.

She turned to face him and smiled shakily. "Good morning, Mori-sempai." She glanced down at her uniform. "Ah- Ōtori-sempai, er, Kyōya-sempai arranged for me to have an _upgrade_. I'm going to be helping in the Host Club. Er- you know. Serving tea, or cake. He said he might even have me stand in as a host, probably just if someone gets sick, or something. Of course, I'm not really like any of the Hosts, so I don't think their customers would really be happy with me as a substitute. Maybe he was kidding about having me Host girls. I don't know why he'd want me to do that. I mean, I'm a girl myself, and I'm not really the 'Host' type- not that I'd mind if he_ did_ want me to, I think it could be fun chatting with girls, but I'm not really sure _how_ to be a Host, and I'm not charming or adorable or comforting, or-or anything, really. I'm just me, and I," she paused and gulped. When she continued, her voice was quiet. "I just don't know _what_ I was thinking, coming to school looking like this; I feel like I'm playing dress-up, or trying to pretend that I'm someone I'm not, trying to pretend that I'm not just a 'commoner with a lot of nerve,' and I look _ridiculous_!" She was babbling and she knew it, but she was nervous. He was just _standing_ there, staring at her, and-

"Haruhi," he said, smiling. "You look very nice."

She blushed furiously. He laid a hand on her head and ruffled her hair affectionately. She looked at her feet and hunched her shoulders a bit. "I'm a little nervous," she admitted. "About the new look and working with the club and- and everything. I just don't know what to expect. What's it like, being in the Host Club? It's probably kind of different from the Hosting end of things."

"It can be fun. Mitsukuni enjoys it." He tilted his head to the side, considering her. "You'll do fine. You're cute. Just be yourself."

She blushed, but laughed, and said, "That's probably the best plan. I'm not a very good actor."

She glanced at the fields and saw that they were mostly empty. She looked at the clock tower and saw the reason why: class would be starting soon. "Oh! We should probably get to our classes. I'll see you after school, I guess- the Host Club is meeting today, right?"

"Right." He smiled and ruffled her hair again.

They chatted as they walked, and she hadn't even noticed that he had walked her to class until he stopped and she saw where they were. She started to (rather belatedly) protest, but he just shook his head, leaving her with a wave and a smile- much to the astonishment of her classmates.

Haruhi didn't realize this; she assumed their reactions were due to her changed appearance. But Kyōya would have been pleased to know that girls were already whispering about the mystery of Haruhi-kun and Mori-sempai.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! We enjoy it whenever we get a new favorite, review, or follower. If you want to request a short (or long) fic, pm either of us or go to iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com!


	6. Of Wondering and Waltzing

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we do cut a mean slice of cake.

* * *

It seemed odd to the twins that Kyōya-sempai _and_ Mori-sempai would take an interest in the scholarship student from their class. They'd been surprised when he'd stumbled into the club that day, since they hadn't known he was gay. That was kind of interesting, but ultimately irrelevant; he'd been hosted by Mori-sempai, and that was that- or so they'd thought. Apparently that _hadn't_ been that for the silent senior, as evidenced by his decision to walk Fujioka-kun to class a little over a week after he'd hosted the commoner. This had confused the twins nearly as much as their classmates, but not quite for the same reason. All wondered if Mori-sempai was_ interested_ in Fujioka-kun, but only the masses were also wondering if this meant that the tall senior was gay; the twins knew better. Because of their amazing hair and makeup skills, they'd been recruited to help with Kyōya-sempai's most recent secret project and been able to discover that the scholarship student's shabby appearance concealed not only an unforeseen attractiveness, but also the fact that Fujioka Haruhi was actually a girl.

This _was_ more interesting than Ouran's only commoner being gay- but while it was possible that this explained Mori-sempai's behavior, they still couldn't figure out why _Kyōya_-sempai would find it interesting enough to provide a uniform, a makeover, and a place in the Host Club for their classmate. They exchanged a glance and decided that the satisfaction of knowing wouldn't be worth the required effort. They might try to puzzle it out on their own, but they'd leave the Shadow King alone. Getting information out of Kyōya-sempai was almost impossible, and they just didn't feel like hiring a professional interrogator that day.

Haruhi, on the other hand, _would_ be questioning Kyōya-sempai on a number of subjects that concerned her, the first of which would be her _boy's_ uniform. She wasn't sure how much the prices of the two uniforms differed, but such a difference might account for Kyōya-sempai's decision to put her in the blue suit with its matching tie rather than the puffy yellow dress. It didn't really matter to her which one she wore, and she supposed that she _had_ mentioned that to him, so maybe he was just trying to save her some money... Or cost her some money. One or the other. He had also mentioned something about her "playing host," and he'd seemed interested in the fact that she hadn't corrected people's misconceptions about her gender. Perhaps that's why he had maneuvered her into this situation... and this uniform. Hadn't he also said something about people "loving a mystery?"

Well, it didn't _really_ matter, and she'd probably find out soon enough. In any case, Suō-sempai would probably have been a lot more annoying if he'd known she was a girl. Even thinking she was a boy, he couldn't seem to shut up; going on, and on, praising her for her "efficient tea making technique" or the way she cut "such beautifully symmetrical pieces of cake" for him and his guests. It was only her first day, but she was already becoming quite skilled at tuning him out.

Haruhi glanced around. She saw Kyōya-sempai pushing up his glasses as he surveyed the room and took notes on everyone's activities; she saw the twins entwined in an embrace and their eager fangirls fainting and squealing in equal measures; and she saw Hani-sempai leading a platoon of his own guests over to get some cake. Mori-sempai followed along behind, and when she glanced at him, he smiled at her.

It wouldn't have looked like a smile on anyone else's face, and it barely looked like one on his. Just a slight softening of the tension around his eyes, the slightest upward curve of his lips. She gave her own little smile as she picked up the next tray of tea she was to be delivering to one of the hosts' tables.

It was another one for Suō-sempai. His table went through the most tea, because he was, by far, the most popular host. She didn't understand it. He just seemed so phony to her, so_ ridiculous_, so idiotic and... and _annoying_, but the girls ate it up. Well, maybe_ that_ was the real reason they were so easily convinced she wasn't a girl: she just didn't think the way that other girls thought. Too quiet, too practical, and too blunt.

She emerged from her thoughts for long enough to be pleasant to the guests and polite to Suō-sempai. He poured bothersome compliments on her and she resisted the urge to pour expensive tea on him. Apparently he'd been observing her, and decided that she was "cute." He was now pointing this out to his guests, declaring that he would "tutor him in the ways of the Host," and wouldn't stop until he was satisfied that his new protegé was as great a host as Suō Tamaki himself. "I know it will be a long and difficult journey," he proclaimed, "but I _will_ persevere!" He continued on in this vein for some time, and she did her best to ignore both him and the guests who were praising his kindness for taking an interest in Ouran's only commoner.

"Excuse me, Sempai, but it looks like Hani-sempai and Mori-sempai need more tea at their table," she interrupted him. She gave a small bow, mostly for show. That was her role in this club of actors; she played the lowly commoner, thrown in amongst the rich, graciously given the chance to mingle as a servant. The difference between Suō-sempai and the others was that she thought _he_ truly believed that she was the part she played. Perhaps that was because the Princely Type was the only one who, for the most part, wasn't acting. He truly _was_ the idiot he portrayed himself to be.

Well, he wasn't a _total_ idiot. Or, in other words, there were some subjects and settings in which he was not an idiot; the Host Club might even be one of those places. These girls might want things she had no interest in, and he was a genius when it came to delivering the romantic prince the girls desired. Well, these girls had all grown up being told they were princesses, so perhaps it wasn't terribly surprising that they'd pick Suō-sempai as their romantic ideal.

_"Please, take this rose, Princess," he said, a fervent gleam in his eye. "It pales in comparison to your beauty, but let it remind you of the beauty we have shared in this moment!"_

She sighed as she gathered another round of tea onto a tray. _There he goes again._

From her spot behind the refreshments table, Haruhi had a pretty good view of the room, and of the hosts themselves. They were interesting creatures. No matter how many times Suō-sempai said that same, corny line, he always _meant_ it. Kyōya-sempai was always watching something, and he made a note of everything he saw. She was pretty sure that he was keeping a tally of the girls who swooned onto the couch after speaking to Suō-sempai. In spite of his age, and more importantly, his maturity, Hani-sempai truly _enjoyed_ being fed cake (and pretending to feed it to Usa-chan). The twins from her class were, in some ways, the Hosts who were the least like the characters they played. Still, she got the feeling that they didn't mind playing the part. It relieved their boredom, and_ that_ seemed to be one of the few things they cared about. Occasionally, when she glanced at Mori-sempai, she could see that while he enjoyed being with his cousin (and didn't mind the company of the ladies), he really would rather be somewhere else. He was often looking out the window, and sometimes when she looked his way, she would find that he was looking at her.

Haruhi continued in her duties, and before too long (though it was still longer than she would have liked) it was time for the ladies to leave. They made their way out of the room, though Suō-sempai lingered over several adieus. While he was finishing, Haruhi began cleaning up after the Host Club. She'd kept up with the dishes, so there wasn't really much to do, but she still appreciated it when Mori-sempai grabbed one of the trays of half empty tea cups and carried it to the sink for her. Hani-sempai bounced up, declaring that he wanted "to help Haru-chan, too," but he tended to be more of a hindrance than a help; he was soon relegated to the role of supervisor, which he did from his perch on his cousin's shoulders. Once her tasks were complete, she grabbed her bag, planning to study in the corner or one of the adjoining rooms until Mori-sempai could take her to the tree.

"Not so fast, Fujioka-kun," came the voice of the Shadow King.

""What do you think you're doing?"" asked two identical voices, and she found her arms linked with those of the twins as they dragged her backward toward a table where the rest of the Club was already sitting.

"We always have a meeting before we dismiss for the day," Kyōya warned her, "I expect you to participate."

"Since I'm just doing menial tasks, I don't see the point in attending the meeting," she told him bluntly. "It's not like I have a vote or anything, and I'm not really interested in planning events, so I would rather be excused."

"That's not the deal," he replied, with a voice of steel. Haruhi glanced at him but his eyes were obscured by a glare from his glasses. "Of course, if you feel so _strongly_ about attending these meetings, I would alternatively accept immediate compensation for the eye exam, contacts, uniform, and any other services provided to get you up to club standards." He held out his hand, palm up, ready to receive what she owed. She glared at him, feeling that she should have expected this sort of behavior from him, and he adjusted his glasses so that she could see his eyes, which showed only indifference.

There were several moments of silence as she was tugged between not wanting to attend the meeting and not having that kind of money. If there was a difference holding a debt over someone's head and what Kyōya-sempai was doing, Haruhi couldn't see it.

"I'm not holding anything over your head, if that's what you're thinking," he said, and she glared at him and his ability to read her mind. "I'm simply reminding you of our bargain, and ensuring that you hold up your end of it." She was silent for a moment as she processed this information. She still didn't want to attend the meeting, but she_ had_ agreed to the bargain, and she didn't want him saying that she was going back on her word.

She was shaken out of her reverie by Hani-sempai, who bounded up to her and started pulling on her hand. "Haru-chan, Haru-chan! Come sit by me and Takashi!_ Please_?" She made the mistake of looking towards the empty seat. She met Mori-sempai's eyes, and suddenly staying for the meeting didn't seem like such a burden.

She allowed herself to be enthusiastically dragged over to the empty chair between the oldest of the club members, and sat. She jumped when Mori-sempai put his hand on her head, and she looked up to meet his comforting gaze. He was smiling a little.

"It's just..." she glanced at her book bag. He nodded his understanding. She relaxed a little more. "These things don't usually last long?" He shook his head and continued smiling that little smile of his.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, relaxing as she did so. His hand was still on her head; she sat up a bit and gave him a small smile. When he saw it, he slowly lowered his hand, giving one last little smile as he did so. Haruhi's answering smile turned into a glare when she found the twins snickering on the other side of the table.

"What?" she challenged her fellow first years, who were vainly trying to hide their giggles behind their hands. "I need to study! It's not like_ my_ parents have tons of money to send me here, I have to work hard for it on my own!" This made them laugh aloud, and Haruhi grumbled, "rich bastards," under her breath while Kyōya-sempai cleared his throat for silence.

"As most of you know, the Host Club's annual dance is coming up, and we have booked the Great Hall for the evening. The catering has been taken care of, the decorations have been designed, all we have left to do is teach Fujioka-kun to dance."

"What? Why do _I_ have to know how to dance?" Haruhi asked, startled.

"You may not have noticed, but there are only six of us- seven, including you- and there will be _more_ than six or seven girls. An extra host will make a big difference in how often the girls will get to dance." He looked at her speculatively. "You should probably act as a Host a few times between now and then, to build up a clientele. That way, there will be girls there who actually want to dance with _you_. Even if you don't have time for that, you'll still be useful as an extra dance partner, to make sure that the maximum number of ladies are dancing."

"But..." Haruhi began, objecting on principle; she couldn't think of any good excuses. Well, she could think of _several_ good excuses, but none that Kyōya-sempai would accept.

"We will teach you. All of us are skilled dancers who know all the steps, so you can learn both to lead and to follow. Unfortunately, I will be unavailable today, as I already have plans."

""We do, too,"" echoed the twins.

"Usa-chan and I are expected at home," Hani-sempai reported, pouting.

"_I_ will be your tutor today, Fujio-" Suō-sempai began, but was cut off by his friend.

"Mori-sempai, Kendo Club was cancelled this week, isn't that correct?" Kyōya-sempai asked. The stoic third year nodded. "Good, then I'll leave our new member in your capable hands. I will see you all tomorrow; good afternoon." And with that, he snapped his notebook shut and exited the room. The rest of the club left shortly thereafter, and the last to leave, Suō-sempai, lingered for at least ten minutes, assuring Haruhi that she was "missing out on a wonderful tutor" and that if she were to submit to Suō-sempai's teachings, she "would master the waltz in no time at all!"

When they were alone in the room, Haruhi peeked at Mori-sempai. They both blushed, and she wondered what they were supposed to do, now that they had the room to themselves.

"Lead or follow?" she heard him ask. She'd been staring at her shoes, but now her eyes shot up to meet his.

"Hm?" was her witty and intelligent response.

"Lead," he said, walking towards a previously unnoticed stereo, "or follow?"

Classical music began to drift through the room, and he turned his attention, and his eyes, back to her.

She should say "lead". She knew she should say "lead." She didn't really _need_ to know how to follow, not for the purposes of the Host Club. His eyes met hers.

"Follow."

He smiled, approached her, and they began to dance.

They didn't notice that they were being observed from the door by two pairs of eyes, so they missed the significant look that was shared by their audience before the red haired voyeurs vanished.

"Ah, young love," Kaoru said dramatically to Hikaru as they walked down the hall. Hikaru snickered.

"Do you think Kyōya-sempai knows?"

"Of course! That's probably why he brought her into the club, and it's _definitely_ why he maneuvered Mori-sempai into being her dance teacher."

"Do you think_ they_ know?"

The twins glanced at each other and laughed. ""Nope!""

* * *

Author's Note: We are taking requests! If you have an idea for a story but would rather not write it yourself, check out iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com and give one or both of us a pm.


	7. An Interlude: Being Helpful

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we do have a couple of Physics books between us.

* * *

It seemed odd to Tamaki that there was so much going on after Host Club hours these days. Mori-sempai was teaching his protegé to dance. Hani-sempai was used to amusing himself while his cousin attended the Kendo Club's meetings; he either left without his cousin or sat out of the way, thoroughly engrossed in enjoying cake with Usa-chan. The other three were having lots of extra meetings; apparently they wanted to make sure that the next event would be perfect.

_He_ would also have gladly put in extra effort, and he volunteered multiple times to take over as Fujioka-kun's dance instructor, but Kyōya thought that the disruption to the newest Host Club member's training would hurt more than Tamaki's excellent instruction would help. Tamaki reluctantly agreed, and gave up his attempts to take over the teaching duties from Mori-sempai. Whenever he volunteered to help in the extra meetings that Kyōya was having with the twins, they assured him that they were merely finalizing plans and that they had everything under control.

Pausing at the door after Club hours one day, his eyes passed over the dance lessons, which had just begun. He noticed that Fujioka-kun and Mori-sempai really did dance well together. Even though Mori-sempai was very tall and Fujioka-kun very short, they..._ fit_, somehow. Maybe it was because Mori-sempai was a very good teacher; Tamaki considered that Kyōya may have been right in his choice.

He sighed, a little disheartened that he wasn't able to be of use to any of his "subjects," but happy that the club he started was willing and able to function without his encouragement.

Not long after Tamaki's departure, Hani left, too. The twins and Kyōya plotted. Mori and Haruhi danced, smiled, and blushed. The plotters observed this with satisfaction, but soon enough it was time to call it a day. The twins headed home to play video games, and Kyōya to finalize the takeover of a rival company. Haruhi and Mori, however, headed out to the tree.

Unsurprisingly, she hadn't been able to get as much studying done as she had before she joined the club, so she was looking forward to this time in the tree. She was dying to make sure that she understood the lesson that she'd had that day in Physics, so she opened her book the second he set her in the tree. However, instead of saying he'd see her later and immediately heading off down the hill, Mori-sempai stayed where he was.

"Mori-sempai?" she said, blinking at him when she noticed he was still there.

He smiled at her. "No kendo this week," he replied.

"Oh!" she said, blushing. "I'd forgotten! Er- should I just go home, then?"

He shook his head and climbed into the tree. She was surprised at this, even more so when, instead of climbing onto the adjacent branch, he sat next to her. It was a wide branch, easily able to hold their combined weight, but she wasn't expecting him to suddenly be so close!

"M-Mori-sempai?"

He smiled at her and she blushed. "I'll help. With your studying."

"Oh! Right. Er- thank you, Mori-sempai!" She forced herself to stop staring into his eyes, and looked instead at the book on her lap. "Well... I wanted to make sure I understood this correctly..."

Once they got started, she found it wasn't too difficult to concentrate on schoolwork, but every now and then his arm would brush against hers, or she'd look at him and be surprised all over again at how close he was to her.

They had just about finished when Mori-sempai looked up at the sky and hopped down from the tree. Haruhi got to the bottom of the page she was reading, made a note to look into the last section further, and then closed her book.

"Haruhi," he said, as she stuffed her Physics textbook into her bag. "May I offer you a ride home?"

"Wha-" Haruhi began, startled by the offer. "Don't trouble yourself, Mori-sempai, I'll be fine."

In response, he glanced upwards, where the sky was beginning to darken into night.

"I'm out late all the time," Haruhi told him as she handed down her bag. He took it, but said nothing.

The silence stretched on as she waited for him to help her down; instead, Mori-sempai just looked at her. She blinked at him. He crossed his arms.

"Erm... Aren't you going to get me down?"

He continued to stare at her. "It's_ late_."

The staring contest continued for several moments before she laughed and gave in. "All right. But just this once, and only because it's already dark!"

He smiled and lifted her down.

They began the walk to his car. "You know, when you first took me to the tree I thought you had been ordered by Suō-sempai to walk me home. I thought it might be a treat for first-time visitors to the Host Club."

"Customers come to be happy. It was my duty to find you a place that you liked."

She blinked in surprise. "Thank you, Mori-sempai. I really appreciate it... I love coming here to study. It's my favorite place on campus," she said, and smiled at him. "So you've definitely done your duty as a Host: you've made me happy."

"I like to make you happy," he said, ruffling her hair with a smile. "I'm glad you came to the club."

She blushed. "I'm glad, too. If I hadn't, then I'd never have met you, and I'm... I'm glad that we're friends, Mori-sempai," she said.

They reached the car in silence, Mori smiling and Haruhi blushing. The ride home was equally quiet, with only a "goodnight, Haruhi," from Mori-sempai as she got out of the car.

* * *

Author's Note: If you like The Unbroken Vase, give us an idea for a new story! (pm either of us or go to iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com!)


	8. Of Naturals and Naptimes

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we _have_ taken a dance lesson or two.

* * *

It seemed odd to Mitsukuni that his cousin was enjoying giving dancing lessons. He'd never have expected it of him, but he seemed to be just as excited about those after-Club hours as he usually was about an important kendo match.

He pondered this for a couple of days until he happened to stumble upon a pre-Club dance lesson. Mitsukuni entered the room to find Haru-chan in his cousin's arms, beaming as the two of them stepped in time to Takashi's chanting: "Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow."

Mitsukuni hadn't really paid any attention to them during the lessons, even when he _was_ in the club room, and he was pleased to see that Haru-chan was coming along quite nicely; even Kyō-chan, who surely _had_ been paying attention, was probably impressed at how quickly she had picked up the steps. That wasn't the only thing he saw, though, and as soon as he noticed it, he wondered how he had missed it before.

"Hey, Takashi," he interrupted, striding across the room toward them. "Were you going to teach Haru-chan to lead, too?"

They sprang apart, blushing profusely. Haruhi was spared from trying to come up with a response by Suō-sempai's exuberant entrance.

"Ah, Fujioka-kun, I see you've been practicing diligently!" he exclaimed. Haruhi briefly wondered how he knew that was what they'd been doing, then realized that the waltz they'd been dancing to was still playing in the background. "It is important for a Host to work hard when learning a new skill!" He continued on, alternately praising her hard work, offering advice, and claiming that, as her mentor, he should have been her dance instructor. Haruhi wasn't sure how, exactly, Kyōya-sempai had persuaded his classmate to stop his attempts at taking over her lessons, but she probably owed him her firstborn for it.

""Hey, _Your Majesty_,"" two voices chimed when Suō-sempai's effusions seemed as though they would never end. "Do you have a crush on Haruhi-kun?" one asked.

"Yeah," the other continued, "you spend half your time at Club these days watching him. You're not jealous of Mori-sempai, are you?"

"I am merely trying to be of use to my protegé," Suō-sempai said with a flourish. "How can he hope to succeed without my guidance?"

"You _want_ him to be as stupid as you?" one twin scoffed.

The Host Club King sputtered out a "how dare you!" and started toward the red haired duo. They laughed identical laughs and scampered away, drawing the angry blond after them.

"Could we leave that until later?" Kyōya-sempai asked the three adversaries as he entered the room. Then he turned to address the rest of the Club. "Since Fujioka-kun has clearly mastered the steps, it will presumably be easier for him to learn to lead, isn't that so, Mori-sempai?" Kyōya-sempai asked. Mori-sempai nodded, and Haruhi thought she could see a faint blush on his cheeks. "Perhaps we could let someone else teach him to lead, since you have worked so hard instructing him in the basic steps."

"_I_ would be happy-" Suō-sempai began, pausing in his hunt for the traitors.

"Hani-sempai, would you mind staying late with Fujioka-kun? If you don't already have plans, that is," Kyōya-sempai interrupted. After a glance at Mori-sempai, he continued. "It would likely be beneficial for Mori-sempai to observe and correct Fujioka-kun's steps as he dances." He pushed up his glasses and smirked. "I'm not sure why that didn't come to me before."

"That sounds like fun!" Hani-sempai declared. "Right, Takashi?"

"Yeah," his cousin agreed.

"Then it's decided," the Shadow King said, noting it down. "Now then, our customers will be arriving shortly. Fujioka-kun, are you prepared to host today?"

"Eh? Oh... Yes, that's fine, Sempai," she answered, caught slightly off guard by the question. "We're not doing any cosplay today, right?"

"Correct. We'll be having a tropical theme tomorrow, though. If you could arrive early, to assist in setting up the room, it would be much appreciated." She nodded, and he turned to the twins. "Kaoru, Hikaru, would you be able to finish a costume for Fujioka-kun in time?"

"For tomorrow? It's kinda late notice, Boss. We can probably get _something_ together, but it won't be as elaborate as the others, and we wouldn't have very much time for a fitting," Hikaru-kun said.

"Hmm..." Kyōya-sempai said, considering the problem. "We'd best leave it, then. The customers expect high-quality costumes, and if there isn't time to deliver that, it would be best that Fujioka-kun simply wear his uniform. In any case, there will be _plenty_ of opportunities for him to cosplay with us." The Shadow King smirked, and Haruhi shivered.

She began readying the room for their guests; it was as good an excuse as any to move away from him, but her preparations were almost immediately interrupted.

"Haru-chan! Host Club's starting now!"

"Huh? Oh! I'm coming," she said, rushing over to stand with the other Hosts. Until Hani-sempai called her over, she'd forgotten that acting as a Host meant that she would now be expected to stand with them for the formal _"Welcome!"_ as the club opened for business; that hadn't been the case when her duties were more menial. Her presence among the hosts was immediately noticed.

"Oh! Is Haruhi-kun going to be a Host today?"

"I am! I'll be sitting with one of the other hosts to begin with, just until I learn the basics."

"I want to sit with you!" chimed one girl.

"Me too!" echoed another.

"Thank you!" the female host said, then looked over her shoulder. "That will be all right, won't it, Kyōya-sempai?"

"It will. Hm... I believe _I_ will be your first tutor, so if you'll all follow me...?" the bespectacled boy replied, gesturing towards his couch.

Suō-sempai, who surely would have protested this, was luckily distracted by the twins, who had been up to some mischief. By the time he noticed, Kyōya-sempai, Haruhi, and their collective guests were already seated. Haruhi saw Suō-sempai blanch when he realized this, but there were ladies nearby, so he was forced to swallow his objections. He quickly rallied himself and turned his attention to his guests.

Haruhi rather hoped this wasn't how Kyōya tutored people in _other_ subjects. They were sitting on the same couch, but he rarely even_ looked_ at her. He would look at her customers every now and then, to see how they were doing, but he didn't look at her, didn't speak to her, didn't really acknowledge her presence. If things got too quiet on her side of the couch, he would make a note of it; if the girls were particularly happy, he made a note of it, but other than that, he completely ignored her existence. She was left on her own to figure out how to be a Host.

Then again, perhaps he was just assessing her current skill level; that wasn't unreasonable, and it would explain why he was keeping track of her guests' reactions. She just wasn't very comfortable, especially since she wasn't sure she _could_ be a Host; she didn't_ have_ an act to sell the way the other hosts did, or any unusual characteristics. She wasn't adorable like Hani-sempai, or strong and comforting like Mori-sempai; she didn't have the 'brotherly love' angle the twins had, or even the 'devilish prankster' attitude that was closer to their true personalities. She wasn't 'cool' like Kyōya-sempai, and besides, she'd gotten contacts, not glasses, and she doubted that Suō-sempai would be losing any customers to her. She wasn't exactly the 'Prince Charming' type, and that was what his princesses sought when they went to him.

"What do you like to do, Haruhi-kun?"

She blinked. That was an easy enough question to answer. To her surprise, the girls seemed intrigued by her story, by her life. When she told them about the recipes her mother had left her, they reacted similarly to Hani-sempai's customers when he ate a piece of cake. Was that how she could make these girls happy? Just chat with them, and try to put them at ease?

"Why did you join the Host Club, Haruhi-kun?"

"Ah-" she glanced from Mori-sempai to Kyōya-sempai, who shook his head slightly. "Well, Kyōya-sempai offered to pay for my uniform if I helped out the club. He thought that you ladies might like the chance to get to know the Scholarship Student. I'm not sure why that's so interesting-"

"Oh, but it is! There hasn't been a Scholarship Student in a long time. Kyōya-kun is so smart!"

Some time later, just after Hani-sempai had started his daily nap, Kyōya-sempai spoke to her for the first time since club hours had started. "Fujioka-kun," he said, getting her attention. He continued, a thoughtful and _considerate_ quality audible in his voice. The girls really seemed to enjoy that, but Haruhi fought the urge to shudder. "Why don't you join Mori-sempai while Hani-sempai is sleeping? I'm sure Mori-sempai's guests would enjoy it if you were there to fill in."

Haruhi did as he instructed, rather pleased to be sitting near her friend, especially since it meant that she would be moving away from the Shadow King. As always, she felt more relaxed the instant she was sitting next to him. They smiled at each other in greeting, then returned their attention to their guests. Gradually, the two groups blended into one. Haruhi talked to the Wild Type's guests almost as much as her own, and Mori-sempai was as likely to serve tea to_ her_ designators as to his. Of course, this shouldn't have been terribly surprising; Haruhi was generally friendly, and Mori-sempai was used to sharing hosting responsibilities with his cousin.

Still, his customers were delighted with the situation; with Haruhi-kun there, Mori-sempai was much more involved in the conversation, and Haruhi-kun concentrated more on talking to them than on being _adorable_. That the scholarship student managed to be cute while doing so made them even happier. Their absolute_ favorite_ thing about the Natural and Wild Types hosting together was that_ Mori-sempai actually smiled_! More than one girl fainted, much to Haruhi-kun's confusion (and concern), but they were quick to assure the newest Host that this was a _good_ kind of fainting. The other girls in the room knew it, and came to investigate. If there was _moe_ to be witnessed, they wanted a front-row seat!

Kyōya smiled happily. He'd _thought_ the sparks between Mori-sempai and Fujioka-kun would attract customers. It was so satisfying when these sorts of gambles paid off.

Mitsukuni's naps were generally short, and there were usually only a few customers at his cousin's couch when he woke up. He was, therefore, rather surprised to see the crowd surrounding his cousin and Haru-chan.

Then he noticed the glances and, more importantly, the smiles the two were exchanging. _Ah,_ moe. _That would explain it._ He watched the oblivious "friends" for a moment._ I really can't blame the girls, though. Those two are _adorable_ together!_

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and loving UV! We love reading your wonderful reviews! Show us your love by following or favoriting; more UV will arrive every Friday.

If you want more from the amazing team-up that is Stella Malodi & CatrinaSL, feel free to pm either/both of us or request something at iwillwriteyourficDOTblogspotDOTcom!


	9. Of Discoveries and Distractions

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we do have some awesome cousins.

* * *

It seemed odd to Takashi that he was feeling jealous of his cousin. He didn't understand why he would feel that way, but there it was. He just couldn't seem to stop the ridiculous thoughts that crossed his mind when he watched Mitsukuni and Haruhi dance. Perhaps it was just because he'd enjoyed dancing with her, and was disappointed that it was over. He _did_ enjoy dancing, so it would be natural to be jealous that Mitsukuni was now dancing with Haruhi, while he was left watching from the sidelines. That had to be it. After all, what other explanation was there?

He'd almost managed to convince himself that it was just the dancing he missed when Haruhi glanced at him and smiled. His heart beat faster and he finally recognized what he had been feeling.

He smiled back.

He spent the rest of the dance practice watching her. Since that _was_ what he was supposed to be doing, Haruhi and Mitsukuni took little notice of it. He stared at her, wondering what he should do now. He supposed he _could_ just go on as he had been, pretending that he _hadn't_ just realized that he was in love with Fujioka Haruhi, but that seemed like a stupid thing to do; well, long term, anyway. While he was still figuring things out, it would be best to try to keep things casual.

So, when dance practice ended, he smiled at her; after they'd walked as far as their car, he ruffled her hair and waved goodbye.

Haruhi waved back, but she was... concerned. On their walk from the music room, he hadn't smiled or made a single monosyllabic noise. He hadn't even looked at her, that she had seen, and she _would_ have seen, since she was often looking at him, waiting for him to get involved in the conversation as he always did. His stoic expression at their parting was enough to convince her that no, she _wasn't_ imagining things.

The next day the was no school, and therefore no Host Club and no dance practice. Her feet would have been grateful for the reprieve, but she was so busy with her weekend shopping, cleaning, and studying that she barely had time to think!

What thoughts she did have were of Mori-sempai.

She strained to remember everything she'd said during her last dance lesson and the subsequent walk to the car, but she couldn't think of anything in the conversations that would upset anyone. Perhaps it had been something that she_ hadn't_ said. Had she accidentally offended Mori-sempai?

When she returned to school the next day, she didn't see Mori-sempai between classes. She hadn't even realized that she normally did until suddenly... she didn't. She was worried, afraid that he was sick or something had happened, but he seemed perfectly healthy when she saw him at the Host Club.

She was a Host now, but she still did more of the menial chores than the other hosts. As she worked, she'd look around the room to see what everyone was doing. Usually, when she checked on Mori-sempai, he'd notice she was looking at him after only a moment or two. He'd smile or wave at her, sometimes he'd just nod. But he would _always_ notice her and he would _always_ do something to acknowledge her.

Now, however... She'd glance at him, and he'd be looking out the window, paying attention to Hani-sempai, or sometimes just staring off into space. That was normal. What wasn't normal was the fact that he _kept_ looking out the window or taking care of Hani-sempai or staring off into space. He didn't notice that she was checking on him, or if he did, he was pretending that he didn't.

She watched him for a few days, noting the changes in his behavior. The more she saw, the more concerned she got. She didn't understand what was happening. Was he angry with her? Had she done something to hurt him? She didn't know what to do. Finally, after watching and worrying for most of the week, inspiration struck.

She was in the Third Music Room; club hours had ended, and she was waiting for the rest of the Hosts to leave so that she and Hani-sempai could start their dance lesson. Mori-sempai wouldn't be attending this lesson or the next. Instead, he would be training with the kendo club. As she stood patiently, her gaze wandered over the room and fell on the two cousins. She watched them, how they acted when they were together, how well they knew each other, and it suddenly occurred to her that if anyone knew what was going on with her tall, silent friend, it would be Hani-sempai.

"Hani-sempai," she began in a quiet voice as soon as they were alone, "do you know what's going on with Mori-sempai? He's been..." she paused, struggling to articulate the things she'd noticed about his recent behavior. "He just hasn't been acting like himself around me. It's almost like he's avoiding me, and I don't know why," she said with a helpless shrug.

Mitsukuni suspected he knew what was going on, and thought it was good that his cousin had realized his feelings, but hoped he wasn't going to be an idiot about it. "Do you want me to talk to him, Haru-chan?"

"Could you?" she asked, looking immensely relieved.

"Of course," he said with a little smile. "Now, when you're leading, you need to be a little firmer; you're telling me with your hand where we're gonna go, okay?"

* * *

Authors' Note 9/20/13: *gasp* Minor angst! What's that doing in our fluff-a-thon? Oh well, hopefully all will be well by next week.

If you want to request something from us in the meantime, pm us or go to iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com to inspire us with your idea!


	10. An Interlude: Sharing

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

**Disclaimer:** We don't own Ouran High School Host Club, but Stella has a couple of mysterious boxes lying around- it's her birthday this week! (All reviews for this chapter should have "Happy Birthday Stella!" in them somewhere, even the key-mashing ones :D)

* * *

It seemed odd to Haruhi that she was so nervous. Hani-sempai had _said_ that his talk with Mori-sempai went well. In fact, he insisted that there wasn't anything wrong, and hinted that Mori-sempai was planning to talk to her today. The only problem was, there was an important tournament coming up, so Mori-sempai had skipped Host Club to hold an extra training session with the Kendo Club, and had subsequently missed dance practice. Even with Hani-sempai's assurances, she couldn't stop worrying, and she knew that she wouldn't until she had seen her taller friend for herself.

After leaving the Third Music Room, she couldn't quite bring herself to go to the tree. Instead, she lingered near the school building. About fifteen minutes after dance practice had ended, she was startled by a large hand on her shoulder.

She spun around, making a noise somewhere between a squeak and a shriek as she did so. Mori-sempai raised the hand he'd put on her shoulder, ruffling her hair in greeting. She composed herself and calmed down, then peeked up at him. He stood there smiling as he always had, holding a small white box. A navy blue ribbon was wrapped around the box, holding it closed, and was tied into a perfect bow on top. He handed it to her, and she untied the ribbon, absently putting it in her pocket, and opened it to find a perfect slice of strawberry cake. She looked up at him in surprise and found him smiling at her.

"Sorry," he said. "Mitsukuni said you were worried."

She blushed, but smiled back. "Thank you," she said, "for the cake, and... well, for everything." They stood there staring at each other for a few seconds, though it felt much longer. Eventually Haruhi blinked and shook her head to clear it. "Do you want to share this by the tree, Mori-sempai?"

He smiled and nodded. She started toward the tree, but her friend didn't move. "Haruhi?"

"Yes, Mori-sempai?" she said, turning back to look at him.

"Call me Takashi."

For a moment, Haruhi wasn't quite sure how to react. It wasn't such a big deal; after all, he called _her_ by her given name, and they _were_ friends, so there wasn't any reason for her to hesitate. "O...okay... _Takashi_," she said.

A smile made a brief appearance on his face, and he murmured, "Come on," as he grabbed her hand and continued toward their destination.

She couldn't help but feel that she was missing something, but she couldn't quite bring herself to ask... just as she couldn't bring herself to let go of his hand.

They walked slowly, spoke quietly, and smiled frequently.

When they reached the tree, Mori- no, _Takashi_, she reminded herself- lifted her into the tree. Just like the week before, he sat next to her on the lowest branch. She looked at him, caught his eyes, and couldn't look away. They sat there for a moment before he smiled slightly, leaned forward... and snagged the box of cake from her hands. She exhaled loudly and dragged her eyes away, blushing yet again. _Why_ was she always blushing around him? It was _annoying_, and she just wished it would stop!

Takashi bit back a chuckle. She was cute when she blushed!

He opened the box and looked inside. There was only one fork. He wasn't sure if he should sigh or smirk. He glanced at Haruhi out of the corner of his eyes. She was still blushing.

Hmm. Better play it safe. He didn't want to scare her off. Still, a _little_ bit wouldn't do any harm... He loaded a smallish bite of cake onto the fork. "Haruhi," he said. When she looked at him, he held it up to her lips. Her eyes widened, but she obediently opened her mouth and ate the cake. Her eyes closed and she smiled as she enjoyed the flavor. He handed her the fork.

When he didn't produce one of his own, she looked at him. "Don't you want some of the cake?" she asked.

"Only one fork," he explained. She rolled her eyes, loaded the fork, and prepared to feed cake to _him_. His eyes widened slightly; he hadn't expected _that_, but he smiled, leaned forward, and took what she offered: a bite of cake and an indirect kiss.

* * *

**Authors' Note (9.27.13):** And the fluff is back! All together, now: "Aww... How cute!" Thanks for reading and reviewing. If you want to request a fic pm one of us or go to iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com. (And don't forget to wish Stella a happy birthday!)


	11. Of Finery and Falling in Love

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but if you check our closets, you will find a couple of fancy dresses!

* * *

It seemed odd to Haruhi that she had accomplished so much in the last few weeks. She'd stumbled into the Host Club, made a friend, and enjoyed quietly studying, both in solitude and in the company of said friend. Then she'd gotten a makeover, joined a ridiculous Club, become wildly popular with the female population of the school, and mastered the waltz. Most surprisingly of all, she hadn't minded the disruption of her schedule one bit.

She was now at a Host Club event, dancing with a smiling girl.

She was the fourth smiling girl to ask her if there was something wrong. "Haruhi-kun, are you okay? Are you having a nice time?" each girl asked her, to which she would reply, "Of course I'm having a good time. You're such a good dancer, Kojima-chan." And the girl would giggle, and after the song was over, Haruhi would walk her back to her seat and thank her for the dance, and then go to look for the next girl she was supposed to dance with. (Kyōya-sempai, of course, had charted out specific dance partners for all of them.)

Finally, the seventh girl asked a more direct question. "Who are you looking for, Haruhi-kun? I'd hate to think that you'd rather be dancing with someone else."

Haruhi hadn't even realized that she'd been neglecting her partner, so she laughed and said, "I'm just looking for Takashi."

The girl blinked at her. "Why?"

Haruhi thought for a moment, then came up with a reasonable explanation. "Um... I suppose it's because he's been tutoring me. Teaching me how to dance. And I guess I want to make sure I'm doing a good job, and see if he's nearby to correct me if I misstep."

The girl giggled. "I can't imagine him _following_. That must have been funny to watch!"

Haruhi laughed along with her. "No, he taught _me_ to follow first, and then I danced with Hani-sempai while Takashi watched and made sure my feet were in the right place."

"Well you haven't stepped on my dress yet, so your feet must know what they're doing!" said the girl, and Haruhi laughed. "Mori-sempai must be a good tutor."

Haruhi quietly nodded. "Yes."

During their first break from dancing, she wandered over to the snack table. Unsurprisingly, Hani-sempai was already there, and Takashi was with him. She greeted Hani-sempai cheerfully and smiled at his cousin, who smiled back. She blushed a little and quickly looked away, wondering again why seeing Takashi smile at her sometimes made her feel... well, the way she felt at that moment: warm and excited and calm and happy and embarrassed. She _almost_ resisted the urge to look at him again. She didn't quite manage it, but consoled herself that it was only a glance, and that she didn't turn her head to do it.

She was pretty sure he noticed it anyway.

Luckily, Suō-sempai chose that moment to do what he did best: he called everyone's attention to himself and spoke at length about nothing, using excessively flowery language to do so. She wasn't really listening to him, but it gave her something to pretend to focus on as she simultaneously tried _not_ to think about how her friend's smile made her feel, _and_ tried to figure out what those feelings _meant_.

She was still deep in thought when her arms were grabbed and she suddenly felt herself being dragged backwards. _Again?_ she thought. _I'm being kidnapped again?!_ She looked to either side of herself and found that her latest abductors were the twins. The last time they'd dragged her like this had been...

"Oh, no! You are _not_ giving me another _makeover_!"

"Eh, you worry too much, Haruhi-kun."

It was at this point that they reached their destination. They stood her back on her feet and opened both of the doors of the room they'd taken her to. She wasn't sure what it had been originally, but it was currently set up as a dressing room. Kyōya-sempai was standing there with his notebook in hand and his glasses flashing ominously.

"Excellent!" he said. "If you'll just step into the dressing area, Fujioka-kun?"

"What- What's going on?!" she demanded to know. "I thought you promised not to kidnap me again!" She noticed that Kyōya-sempai's grip on his notebook tightened, and resisted the urge to smirk. The only part of the makeover she'd enjoyed was the flurry of panic when Kyōya-sempai had realized that his notebook was missing. Her father's calm, "What's happened? The way you and your men are acting, you'd think someone had been _kidnapped_," had stopped them in their tracks, as Kyōya-sempai realized _exactly_ where his notebook was, and why it had gone missing in the first place. Luckily, the youngest Ōtori had taken it well, and her father wasted no time in returning the item in question once it was clear that his point had been made. The Host had apologized to her and her father, and promised that it wouldn't happen again.

Only now it had.

Kyōya-sempai cleared his throat. "Yes, well, you'll be happy to know that we have your father's permission this time; in fact, he styled the wig himself."

"Wig?" she asked with dread. The twins smirked and gave her a little shove into the curtained off portion of the room.

Within the space was a dress, the aforementioned wig, and a small table covered with tubes and jars. _Makeup,_ she realized with disgust.

"Haruhi-kun," one of the twins said, "You've got ten minutes to get dressed before we come in to do your makeup!" She blanched and hurriedly began taking off her suit.

Twenty minutes and many loud protestations later, Haruhi emerged from the dressing room. She waited impatiently and glowered at her captors while they inspected her.

"Hm... passable," was Kyōya-sempai's verdict.

"Are you kidding?" one of the twins (she wasn't sure, but she _thought_ it was Hikaru-kun) exclaimed. "She's unrecognizable!"

The third and final member of the "Dress up Haruhi" triumvirate remained silent. "Hm..." he said finally, studying her reflection in the mirror. "She needs something... more."

There was a moment of contemplation before inspiration struck. "What about this?" Haruhi asked, pulling the navy ribbon out of the pocket of her discarded suit. She'd kept it with her ever since she and Takashi had shared strawberry cake together, as a token of their friendship.

"It's perfect!" Kaoru-kun said, tying it up in the wig she wore. "You look adorable."

"Thank you," Haruhi said, "But there's one more thing." She pointed at her feet and glared at Kyōya-sempai. "I am _not_, under _any_ circumstances, wearing the heels. I cannot walk in them. I _certainly_ can't dance in them. If you were planning to kill me, there are faster methods, and I'd prefer you use one of them."

Kyōya-sempai shrugged, smirked, and held up a shoebox. She cautiously hobbled over to him, took off the lid, and sighed in relief when she saw what it held: a cute little pair of flats. "_Thank you_, Sempai," she said, taking the box and switching shoes. "Now, would you _please_ tell me why you felt it necessary to put me in a dress?"

The Shadow King merely smiled. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Fujioka-hime."

Haruhi could hardly believe what she was doing. In a daze, she walked back into the ballroom. The lights seemed brighter somehow than they were before. Maybe it was because the twins had crimped and slathered her eyelashes with mascara. Or maybe it was just the wonder that every girl felt when they walked into a room that held a prince waiting to dance with her.

Then she saw him. She watched his expression as he noticed her standing there, and saw his eyes light up and a smile spread across his face as he recognized her. He approached her and bowed.

"Haruhi," he said, holding out his hand to her.

"Takashi," she replied, smiling back up at him and placing her own smaller hand in his.

They danced.

They'd danced together before, many times, but this time was different. Was it the setting? The guests standing around them? The live instrumentals? The fancy clothing? No, she didn't think so. She barely noticed those things. She forgot about the people who might be watching them, didn't hear the music, and they could have been dressed in rags for all the difference it would have made.

It was in the way they couldn't take their eyes off each other, the way he held her closer to him than he had when they'd just been practicing, the way they couldn't stop smiling and didn't need or want to speak. It was in the way she could feel nothing but his hands, see nothing but his face, and hear nothing but the beating of her own heart.

It was in the way he looked at her and the way he smiled.

The realization of what this feeling was hit her like a ton of bricks, literally knocking her off her feet. She jerked out of his arms with a gasp and found herself sprawled on the floor. She lay there, breathing too quickly and staring up at him with wide eyes.

He stared at her, too, clearly surprised. He considered her for a moment, and then his eyes softened. He smiled a little, bent forward, and offered his hand.

_Oh,_ she thought, before a hesitant smile crossed her lips. She slowly raised her hand, once again placing it in his. He lifted her to her feet. She stumbled a bit standing up, and ended up standing very, very close to him. She almost had to look straight up to see his face. When she did, she found that he was already looking down at her. He smiled at her again, and her heart sped up in response.

_Maybe this "being in love" business won't be so bad after all,_ she thought with a smile.

Near one of the walls, where they'd been standing and watching the couple carefully, the twins were exchanging high fives, the Shadow King was smiling mysteriously, and Haninozuka Mitsukuni was jumping up and down, hugging Usa-chan and spinning around in excitement.

* * *

Authors' Note 10.4.13: Not long now until the end! Thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites. Right now we are buried in projects, but if you want to add more to the list, pm us or head over to iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com.


	12. The Eavesdropper and the Unbroken Vase

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

Disclaimer: We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, and neither of us has a pet snake, but Stella does have a wizard staff!

* * *

It seemed odd to Tamaki that his new protegé was seeking so much supplementary advice from the Wild Type. After all, being the Natural Type, he didn't need training from anyone, except, perhaps, the King Himself.

The dance was over, he was tired, and he wanted nothing more than to retreat to his lair in the Third Music Room so that he could change, gather his things, and head home. He began to open the door when he heard voices: a man and a woman. Stopping to listen, he recognized Mori-sempai's voice. Tamaki wondered why he had returned to the club room with one of the guests; hadn't they escorted all of the ladies to their cars? Tamaki peeked in, wondering who Mori-sempai could be honoring with a moonlit tour of the Third Music Room.

"What is that?" the girl was asking, pointing at an object on a nearby pedestal. "It's very pretty."

She had been about to touch it, but drew back when Mori-sempai spoke: "A vase by Rene," he said. "It was appraised at the school auction for 8 million yen."

"What is it doing on a pedestal in the middle of the room?" she asked. "It's hanging off the edge!" Moving forward, she put both hands near the bottom and scooted it back into a safer position, then stepped away from it. "Anyone could have knocked it over, and then all its beauty would be wasted."

He heard Mori-sempai chuckle. "Beauty should never be wasted."

"Well, then why don't we move the whole display closer to the wall, where there's less of a chance of someone bumping into it?"

"If it's out of sight, isn't that a waste, too?"

"I suppose... But this is fragile. It shouldn't have been placed so carelessly."

"Mm. Beautiful things should never be treated carelessly. They deserve to be appreciated, admired... and protected," he said, reaching out to take her hand.

"T-Takashi?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

He smiled down at her and gently laid his hand on her cheek. "Beautiful..." he murmured, staring into her eyes.

Tamaki's eyes were filled with the tears of a romantically touched heart, and even though he knew he shouldn't be watching, he longed to see the ending of this beautiful scene. The Host Club King held his breath as Mori-sempai pulled the girl into his arms, closer, closer, until his lips were almost on hers.

Then he whispered, "Haruhi."

Tamaki's jaw dropped in shock. He sucked in a huge breath of air, prepared to storm into the room and _demand_ to know what was going on between the Wild Type and his own protegé.

Before he could make a sound, a small person jumped onto his back, holding himself in place by wrapping his legs around Tamaki's stomach and his hands over Tamaki's mouth. His arms were both grabbed, and he was dragged backwards. In front of him, he saw Kyōya-kun quietly but firmly close the door before turning to follow Tamaki. He was stepping deliberately and glaring the Glare Of Death. Tamaki whimpered.

He was pulled down several hallways before they finally stopped inside an empty room. His arms and mouth were released, and he turned to see that Hani-sempai had just dropped to the floor. The door behind him opened again and closed with an ominous thud.

He turned around slowly, and winced when he saw his friend. "What's going... Why did..." he suddenly remembered what he had seen before he was pulled away. "Mori-sempai! We have to stop him! He was corrupting Fujioka-kun!"

"No, Tamaki," Kyōya-kun said, his voice cold enough to freeze even the most oblivious of persons in their tracks. "Mori-sempai was merely trying to enjoy his first kiss in privacy."

"But... but Fujioka-kun!"

"Tama-chan," Hani-sempai chimed in, "They_ love_ each other! You don't want to stand in the way of true love, do you?"

Tamaki stopped short. He was caught it a vicious circle of thought. _But... but, Fujioka-kun... and Mori-sempai... but, true love... between Fujioka-kun and Mori-sempai? But if it's true love... But it's Fujioka-kun! And Mori-sempai! They're in love!_ Suddenly, something occurred to him, and his jaw made its second journey towards the floor that night. "M-Mori-sempai is GAY?!"

The twins groaned at this remark, simultaneously putting their heads in their hands.

Kyōya-kun snorted. "No, Tamaki-kun. Mori-sempai isn't gay. Neither is Fujioka-kun, actually."

"What... huh? But how...?" His shoulders slumped. "I am so confused."

Hani-sempai giggled. "Tama-chan, Haru-chan is a _girl_."

Tamaki took a moment to process this.

Then another.

And another.

Finally, the explosion of realization came. "W-WHAT? He's a... HE'S A GIRL?"

He collapsed in a heap on the floor. "I-I don't understand..." he said in a very small voice.

"That's okay, Tama-chan," Hani-sempai said, patting him on the shoulder. "Someday you will."

* * *

Author's Note 10.11.13: Thanks for reading/favoriting/following/reviewing! We love our readers, so if you ever want us to write something JUST for you, you can pm one of us or go check out iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com!

Speaking of "just for you," if you're also a Fruits Basket fan and you like weird pairings, you'll love our next project, "Unexpectedly Wonderful," debuting SOON! We think it's awesome and we hope you will too.

Don't forget to check in next week for the finale of The Unbroken Vase!


	13. Of Helping Friends and Happy Ends

This story is the joint work of Stella Malodi and CatrinaSL. The excellent cover art was commissioned from SF (pm CatrinaSL for the link to his DeviantArt page). Special thanks to fringeperson and My Ashland for their beta work.

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Ouran High School Host Club, but we have done our share of eavesdropping on phone conversations.

* * *

It seemed odd to Takashi that Ōtori Kyōya, celebrated chess champion, outstanding poker player, and accomplished puppet master, would turn out to be a romantic.

There was no disputing it: Kyōya had maneuvered people and events into place to make sure Haruhi ended up in his arms and in his heart.

She would have been a wonderful friend; the week they'd spent together before Kyōya's interference proved that. Maybe they would have gotten closer eventually, but maybe not. He was immensely grateful that, thanks to Kyōya, he'd never have to find out.

He stood in the Third Music Room, staring out the window. He was nervous. He'd be meeting Haruhi's father for the first time that night, and he wanted to make a good impression. Haruhi wasn't worried about it, but for Takashi, it was impossible to stop the scenes of horror that flashed through his mind. Variations of _You're not good enough for my daughter! I_ forbid_ you from coming near her ever again!_ played over and over. If Fujioka-san didn't approve of him, all of Kyōya's plots would come to nothing.

He couldn't help thinking of the morning after he and Haruhi had shared their first kiss.

Tamaki had "summoned" him, demanding that he "report to the club room before school." Takashi had been curious enough to obey, but after five minutes of sitting on the couch watching the Host Club King pace back and forth, he rather wished he hadn't. The third year glanced at his watch, and hoped that the director's son would make it short so that they could both get to class on time. He glanced up when he noticed that Tamaki's nervous movement had stopped, saw the unusually serious look on his face, and hoped that Mitsukuni would take good notes for him.

Tamaki cleared his throat. "It has come to my attention, Mori-sempai," he began, "that your intentions toward my protegé are not brotherly, but... something more." He fixed Takashi with a gaze. "Do you deny it?!"

Takashi blinked. "No."

This seemed to throw Tamaki off. "No?" he echoed. "...you don't?" He flopped down onto the couch opposite and asked weakly, "well, then... what are they?"

There was a moment of quiet as Takashi considered the best way to explain. "I love her."

Tamaki jumped when the door clicked shut, and both men turned to see Haruhi standing there, her face glowing as she looked at Takashi. The King cleared his throat again to speak, but was interrupted.

"It's really none of your business anyway, Sempai," Haruhi said, as she walked across the room to join Takashi on the couch.

"Of course it is!" Tamaki argued. "What kind of reputation will this..." he gestured at them, "..._pairing_ give the Club?"

There was a polite cough, and Kyōya intruded into the conversation. "If you'd like to see the statistics, I think you'll be quite pleased," he informed them. "Both Fujioka-kun and Mori-sempai's number of designators have gone up considerably since gossip began about them, not to mention the fact that the number of first-time guests has also risen, which has contributed to a rather large rise in everyone's customers, including your own, Tamaki."

Tamaki seemed lost in his own thoughts. Though Takashi didn't know it, he was remembering the words Hani-sempai had said to him the night before: _You don't want to stand in the way of true love, do you?_

""Hey, Haruhi-kun!"" the twins called as they appeared in the doorway. ""We're going to be late for class!""

"I'm coming now!" Haruhi called back. She stood, and Takashi stood with her, taking her hand in his.

"Can I walk you to class?" he asked. She nodded, and they started walking towards the door.

Behind them, Kyōya said, "You're always going on about how we need to generate more chatter to promote the Club. So, if you think about it, this whole thing was actually _your_ idea."

"My-!" Tamaki squawked. "I... The... This has nothing to do with what you were doing in this room last night!" he cried, turning his attention to the departing group and pointing accusingly at Takashi. "How dare you deflower my daughter!"

They all turned back toward him, and the twins snickered while Haruhi raised her eyebrows. "I don't think you know what that means, Sempai."

Takashi couldn't help but smile at _that_ memory. It was amusing, and it was... pleasant... to watch her go head to head with Tamaki and win. The twins had even brought out the popcorn. After a good five minutes of her scolding and ten more of Tamaki sulking, he rushed up to them both and engulfed them in a royal hug, babbling about how happy he was to see them "finally" together, and what a cute couple they were. Evidently, they had his blessing, but _everyone_ had been late to class.

However, the scene, the argument between Haruhi and Tamaki in particular, was _much_ less amusing when he replaced Tamaki with Fujioka-san. After all, _he_ actually had influence over who Haruhi could and could not date.

Takashi tried to pull his mind off his worrying, and instead focused on the view. He began to relax. The tree would always remind him of Haruhi: of his feelings for her, and of how well they got along. The afternoons they'd spent there would be forever imprinted upon his memory. The tree might not have _truly_ been their beginning, but it felt like it. Perhaps this room was where Fujioka-kun and Mori-sempai had become acquainted, but the tree was where Haruhi and Takashi became friends and began to fall in love.

A small hand touched his arm. "Are you worrying again?"

He smiled at her. "Not anymore."

She blushed. "Well, good. You _shouldn't_ worry. My dad is going to love you. I've told him all about you, and he likes everything he's heard."

Takashi shrugged, but was unconvinced. He was dating the man's daughter; of _course_ Fujioka-san wasn't going to like him right away.

"_Trust me_," she insisted, "If Suō-sempai can accept it, my father can. In fact, he'll probably accept it more easily than Suō-sempai did."

"Tamaki had Kyōya to persuade him. Fujioka-san has only you, and fathers do not trust their daughters' judgement when it comes to love."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Mine does, but..." she peered up at Takashi. "You won't believe me until you see it for yourself. I wish you would, for your sake, but I understand. I'll probably be the same when it comes time for _me_ to meet _your_ parents."

He laid his hand on her head briefly and smiled, now trying to reassure her, before stepping away. She smiled after him before returning to her couch. He walked into the cosplay storage room and was surprised to hear voices.

Well, at the moment there was only one voice, which had that odd loud-but-quiet quality indicative of someone yelling from the other end of a phone call. _"Kyōya-kuuuun! When's she going to tell me that Morinozuka is her boyfriend? They got together weeks ago, and she still hasn't said anything!"_

"Don't worry, Ranka-san," Kyōya replied. "I believe they're planning on telling you they're a couple this evening. Mori-sempai's been nervous about meeting you, and Haruhi wanted him to be there when she told you. They haven't been together that long; it's still new to them."

_"Oh, I_ know_!"_ the man on the on the phone whined, _"But new couples are the_ cutest_, and I haven't gotten to see them because she hasn't told me!"_

"Well, you'll get to see them together tonight. You'll be nice to Mori-sempai, won't you? He really does love your daughter."

_"Of course! How could I not like someone who's been such a good friend to her? And it's so romantic that they fell in_ love_!"_

Takashi was in shock. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful that Kyōya was putting a good word in for him or irritated that he'd spoiled the surprise for Haruhi's father.

Once the shock started to wear off, the predominant emotion was relief. Haruhi had been right. Her dad already knew, and he approved of their relationship.

Kyōya said his goodbyes to Haruhi's father and closed his phone. He hadn't given any indication that he knew Takashi was there, but he spoke, with his back still turned, as though he had known about his presence all along. "You and Haruhi would have been... unhappy... if the meeting didn't go well. It could've been bad for the Club."

Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the room. Takashi smiled. He'd have to thank Kyōya some other time, and probably not directly.

As he wandered back out into the Third Music Room, still lost in thought, he realized that for the first time in a long time, he was more than content. He was truly happy, and he owed it to one girl's need to find a quiet place to study, the seclusion and enjoyment provided by a well-climbed tree, and the almost constant interference of a surprisingly romantic Shadow King.

And if he had only known, he would have been amazed at the differences that were brought about because of an unbroken vase.

_The End_

* * *

**Authors' Note 10.18.13**: Thank you so much for your support, enthusiasm, and encouragement. We love reading your reviews, and getting notifications that you've followed or favorited us. We love you guys SO MUCH.

If there's ever anything you want us to write for you, send us a pm or go to iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com and request it!

We have launched our new Fruits Basket fic, Unexpectedly Wonderful, from our NEW JOINT ACCOUNT! (There is also be a link on each of our profiles if you want to look for it there.)

We look forward to writing many more things that you will love in the future.


End file.
